Mentors are experts in their field. They have acquired significant professional experience, which allows them to share their knowledge and support students through their learning journey. This blog post will answer the following question:

Why is your OpenClassrooms mentor so important in helping you to succeed and boost your career?

1 – They help you to set SMART goals.

Your mentor is almost like your personal project manager. One of their main responsibilities is to help you to set goals on a week-by-week basis.

It’s therefore really important to set goals together, which will help you to study at a sustainable pace and progress at a steady rate. This will also help you to optimize your time during your studies.

In each mentoring session that you’ll have, you’ll define realistic (SMART) goals with your mentor, goals that will be clear and achievable. This is key in successfully completing your studies!

2 – They are your timekeeper

Your mentor has, of course, a global vision of the learning path that you’ve chosen to take. They know how much time you’ll need to complete each project and can, therefore, reassure you if you think you’re not going fast enough or help you if you’re struggling with time!

3 – They will keep you motivated

Finishing a learning path which normally takes 3 years at university in one year can sometimes seem like climbing Mount Everest. Your mentor is there to remind you that you have the skills to succeed. They’re there to boost you, keep you motivated and keep your spirits up!

Having a mentor by your side means that you’ll also receive an objective and unbiased point of view, someone making sure you’re going in the right direction and that you’ll succeed.

4 – They will pass on their professional know-how

Thanks to the relationship that you’ll have with your mentor, you’ll get real-life insights into your future career. By sharing their professional experience with you, you will

be ready to work from day one, integrating and progressing quickly in your new job

not make the same mistakes as they did when they started out

Their expertise is so valuable! Don’t forget to listen to their advice and put it into practice from day one in your future career.

5 – They help you work through difficulties

Your mentor is also there to further explain concepts that you haven’t fully grasped or understood. Make the most of their expertise, you can ask ALL the questions you want!

6 – They can help you to set your career goals

There are thousands of ways to start your career, even when you know what job you want to do.

In which industry would you most thrive? What kind of company would be best suited to you: start-ups or big corporations? Would you like to work as a freelancer or in a company? Would you want to work abroad?

What you tell your mentor allows them to point you in the right direction and towards the type of job most suited to your needs. They might even be able to recommend job board platforms or even suggest a few companies to apply for. We can’t say it enough, make the most of the special relationship that you have with them.

Who is better to talk about mentorship and the impact it has on your studies than a recent graduate? Watch Stephanie Zerpa’s video where she talks about the mentorship process and how the support of her mentor was key in helping her to succeed.

OpenClassrooms is the leading online education platform with over 3 million users monthly. It offers free courses as well as internationally recognized programs in tech and design. You can find more information here.